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Jul 16, 2007 7:47 pm US/Central
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Courthouse Playrooms Give Kids A Safe Haven
by Pamela Jones
MAYWOOD, Ill. (CBS) ―
Last week four kids at two Cook County courthouses were left in the car while their parents were inside the buildings.
A mother visiting the courthouse in Bridgeview last week now faces criminal charges for allegedly leaving three children in her car in the parking lot. That courthouse does not have a childcare facility.
The cases have Cook County officials spreading the word about safer alternatives. CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports on a look inside courthouse playrooms.
Mara Reynoso says she feels good about childcare made available to her at the 4th District court building in Maywood. Monday her child was one of 26 who played in the children's center. It's a locked facility with staff trained to help children during what may be difficult times for their families.
"This way the children do not need to go to the court and bear witness to what goes on there," said Social Service Department Director Jesus Reyes. "There are domestic violence cases -- they're shielded from all that."
Where available, the playrooms are free to parents, and in Maywood, each child gets a stuffed toy when they leave.
Cook county officials want more parents to know leaving their children unattended, even if there is no courthouse children's room, is not an option.
In Maywood, parents who visit the room on Wednesdays and Fridays can also take advantage of healthcare provided through the Loyola University Health System.
The playroom there has been open since 2002, and has seved 19,000 children.
"In addition to being able to provide a safe place, we're also able to use this as an opportunity to provide some medical services to families that may not always be available," Reyes said.
Right now, Cook County has seven facilities like the onein Maywood and, CBS 2 is told chief judge Timothy Evans plans to put one in every courthouse.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)